Update: One day after announcing its departure from New Regency and 20th Century Studios, Focus Features has acquired Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders. Focus gains global writes to the drama as a part of the deal, reteaming them with New Regency to bring the acclaimed film to audiences. After losing its December 1 release date, The Bikeriders moves to 2024, with Universal distributing the movie internationally.
Original Article: New Regency and Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders is resetting its kickstand to bring the crime drama back to the open road to go in front of rival studios and streamers after losing its December 1 release date.
New Regency has a deal with 20th Century Studios/Disney, who initially set the film’s December release date. However, after complications from the strikes and weighing options, The Bikeriders may not be an excellent fit for the merged studios. As Deadline points out, 20th Century Studios/Disney released Gareth Edwards’ The Creator, starring John David Washington, in September to tepid box office results. The sprawling (and frankly, excellent) sci-film only managed $104M worldwide against an $80M production budget. The long and the short of it is when it comes to releasing films outside of Marvel, Pixar, Animation, and Lucasfilm branding, adult features don’t typically fare well through the House of Mouse.
Early buzz for The Bikeriders is ultra-positive, with the film earning an 85% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes after its world premiere at Telluride. Amidst plumes of dust and the smell of gasoline, Jeff Nichols (Mud, Midnight Special, Take Shelter) directs from a script he wrote inspired by the Danny Lyon book of photography. The Bikeriders is an original story set in the 1960s following the rise of a fictional Midwestern motorcycle club. Seen through the lives of its members, the club evolves over a decade from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s unique way of life.
Produced by Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, The Bikeriders features a cast that would make any Sons of Anarchy fan drool with envy. Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road, Venom), Boyd Holbrook (Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Jodie Comer (Free Guy, The Last Duel), Michael Shannon (The Flash, Take Shelter), Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune: Part Two), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead, The Boondock Saints) lead the cast. Damon Herriman (Justified, Judy & Punch), Mike Faist (West Side Story, The Atlantic City Story), Karl Glusman (Devs, Nocturnal Animals), and others also star.
Per the studio’s official press release:
The Bikeriders is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members. Inspired by Danny Lyon’s iconic book, The Bikeriders immerses you in the look, feel, and sounds of the bare-knuckled, grease-covered subculture of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bike rider named Benny (Butler), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Hardy). Over the years, Kathy tries her best to navigate her husband’s untamed nature and his allegiance to Johnny, with whom she feels she must compete for Benny’s attention. As life in the Vandals gets more dangerous, and the club threatens to become a more sinister gang, Kathy, Benny, and Johnny are forced to make choices about their loyalty to the club and to each other. Sarah Green, p.g.a., Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, p.g.a., and Arnon Milchan are the producers. The executive producers are Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, Sam Hanson, David Kern, and Fred Berger.
Is it a good idea for The Bikeriders to search for alternative distribution? Could this begin a trend for adult-oriented films marked for release through 20th Century Studios/Disney? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.